Feed compositions



United States Patent Office Patented June14, 1960 FEED COJMPOSITION S Andre Geisendorf, Basel, and Konrad Strait-f, Birsfelden, Switzerland, assignors to Hofi'rnann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey I No Drawing. Filed Feb. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 793,683 Claims priority, application Switzerland July 29, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl. 99-4) This invention pertains to feed compositions for poultry. More particularly, the invention relates to poultry feed compositions which result in improved yellow color of skin, shank, beak, at and flesh as well as better colored egg yolks from the birds to which the compositions are fed.

Poultry with good color of skin, shank, beak, fat and flesh are preferred, especially in birds, such as broilers, intended for table use. A deep yellow color is also considered desirable in the yolks of eggs. The current practice of feeding poultry with fortified feed formulas deprives the birds of fresh, green forage which nonnally provides the pigment forming substances for the fowl. This results in paleness of color in both the poultry and in their egg yolks. Even the addition of dry green feeds does not satisfactorily compensate for the lack of fresh materials. The addition of pigmenting agents generally does not provide the desired hue and intensity, particularly in small concentrations and economically feasible proportions.

It has now been :found that a feed composition containing as an essential ingredient an alkyl ester of 2,6, 11,15 tetramethyl 17 (2,6,6 tri-methy-l 1 cyclohexen 1 yl) 2,4,6,8,10,12,l4,l6 heptadecaoctaen 1- oic acid in small concentrations will attain the desired yellow hue and intensity in egg yolks and in the skin, shank, beak, fat and flesh of poultry. Alkyl esters with up to 20 carbon atoms in the alcohol radical, such as the ethyl, propyl, butyl, cetyl esters and the like are preferred. The methyl ester shows particularly good pigmentation eficiency. For convenience, these compounds are referred to hereinafter in abbreviated form as (2, ester or C esters. They may be produced synthetically according to the method described in copending application Serial No. 775,694, filed Novemebr 24, 1958, by Waldemar Guex et a].

The desired pigmentation of poultry or egg yolks may be effected by feeding compositions wherein the C ester is admixed with a conventional poultry feed or the compound is incolporated in water used by the fowl for drinking purposes. A conventional poultry feed, e.g. a single feed or a mixed feed including added grain, such as those avaliable commercially may be used. The C ester may be added to the basal ration as the pure, dry powder, as a stabilized concentrate wherein the ester is coated with a protective material such as gelatine or gelatine and sugar, as an adsorbate on silica gel, oat meal, soybean oil meal or as a simple mixture with a diluent, such as cereal meal, and oil meal and stabilizers, such as butylated hydroxy toluene, butylated hydroxy auisole, tocopherol, or the like, in solution in a vegetable oil, such as peanut oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, and the like (preferably including one or more stabilizers such as those enumerated above). An oil solution lends itself to mixing with or spraying on the In addition, an emulsion or dispersion in basal ration.

these are particularly adapted for aqueous compositions used as drinking water. It is preferable to fomn the feed composition by admixing the C ester shortly before feeding especially if the C ester is not stabilized and if an aqueous composition is used.

Approximately 0.5 mg. to 30 mg. of C ester per kg. of feed should be used in the final composition provided to the Where a concentrate is used according to the preferred method of practicing this invention, e.g. a dry'concentrate containing stabilizers, a vegetable oil solution, or an emulsion or dispersion for admixture with water, high proportions of C ester, for example 3 to about 15 percent :by weight of C ester may be present. The concentrate is then admixed with the basal feed components so that the C ester is present within the range expressed above. The C ester containing composition may be fed from hatching time until the end of the fattening or raising period; In this case a proportion of C ester on the low side of the above range may be used. It is possible to postpone the use of the feed composition containing C ester until about the fifth week after hatching. For a shorter period of use, a higher concentration of C ester is then better. The proportion of C ester may also be varied within the limits given to obtain the desired hue and intensity of pigmentation.

The following examples are illustrative of the invention.

Mineral salts, trace elements, vitamins, antibiotics,

coccidiostats .2

2,6,11,15 tetramethyl l7 (2,6,6 trimethyl 1- cyclohexen 1 yl) 2,4,6,8,10,l2,14,16 heptadecaoctaen-l-oic acid methyl ester in solution in peanut oil was thoroughly admixed with the basal ration daily in the followingproportions:

I. 1 mg. C ester (methyl ester) in 10 ml. peanut oil per kg. of basal ration.

H. 3 mg. C ester (methyl ester) in 10 m1. peanut oil per kg. of basal ration.

6 mg. C ester (methyl ester) in 10 ml. peanut oil per kg. of basal ration.

Example 2 The feed compositions described in Example 1 containing the difierent concentrations of C ester were fed according to conventional feeding practice to separate groups of Leghorn laying hens, each group containing 20 hens. The egg yolks from the laying (hens were examined for color and compared with the color of the egg yolks obtained from the same hens prior to the use of feexi composition containing the C ester. Three days after the use of the feed compositions of Example 1 had begun, a darkening of the egg yolk became manifest. At the expiration of 14 days the final hue was reached and .co ntiruied that time. These experimerits showed thatfeed composition 'I resiJlte'cYin a light yellow coloration of the egg yolks, feed composition 11 effectedan intermediate yellow coloring of the egg yolks and fe d composition 111 produced a Idark yeIIo'w bolbra 0n bf 't'h egg y'blksli r V or V V A" group 'of' 10 Leghorn. broilers were 'fed feed com- PQSigOnfIII daily for 32 days beginning'immediately after hatching control group. of 10 similar birds were V d ozrthe 'basal rationl alone. The two groups of r lers'yqere then killed'and compared as'tocolor of skin ank beakand'flesh; 1Thfbitd fedc'o'mposition d a "marked j ye11owpigmentation whiohw'as g H reposition-containing as an essential iiigre dientrthereinlan a1ky-1 .est'riof 2,6,11,15 tetIamethyI 17' 7 (2,6,6 trintethyl 1 cyclohexeii 1 yl) 2,4,6,8, 10,12,1446; heptadecaoctaen-l-oic acidl V g V 25A composifion as in 1aim -1 whereinsaid' esteris pr csent in a proportion of 0.5 milligram to 30 per kilogram of feed. I a a r ly'ni'ore intense the case of the control 7 3. A poultry feed eomposition eont aining as an essen: tial ingredient therein 2,6,1 1 1 S-tetramthil 17- 2,6 ,6-

trimethyl 1 cyclohexen {1 yl) 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16-'

heptadecaoctaen-l-oic acid Vmethyl ester.

4. A poultry feed composition comprising a basal ration and 0.5 milligram to 30 milligrams of 2,6,11,15- tetramethyl -V17 (2,6,6 trimetliyl 1 cyclohexen 1 y1)-2,4,6,8,1 O,12,14,1 6 heptadecaoctabn I-oic acid methyl ester per kilogram of feed composition. 7 r a A "feed concentrate containing as" an: essential in- V gr e dien t therein an alk yllest er of 2,6,1 1,15 -tetramethy1- 17 -'(2,6,6 trimethyl; 1 cyclohexenr- 1 yl) L 2,4,6,8, 10, 12,14,l6-hepiadecioeta-boic aci'd."

A rqm op asinq aim nfihs. we lk ester is the methyl ester.

7. A process formproying the color'of egg yolks and skin, shank and heal; of poultry which comprises feeding poultry a composition containing as an essential ingredi ent" therein an alkyl ester of 2,6,11,15-tetramethy1-17- (2,6,6 trimethyl- 1 'cyclohexen l yl') 2,4,63,10,12, 14, 1 6-heptadecaoctaen-1-oic' acid.

No references cited.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2 940 856 June 14L 1960 Andre Geisendorf et al0 It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 13, for "-heptadecaocta read -heptadecaoctaen- Signed and sealed this 8th day of November 1960 fittest KARL H, AXLINE ROBERICfWATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A FEED COMPOSITION CONTAINING AS AN ESSENTIAL INGGRADIENT THEREIN AN ALKYL ESTER OF 2,6,11,15 - TETRAMETHYL17 - (2,6,6, - TRIMETHYL - 1 - CYCLOHEXEN - 1 - YL) - 2,4,6,8, 10,12,14,16- HEPTADECAOCTAEN-1 -OIC ACID. 